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LOOK, LEARN, SHOP, TRAVEL, EAT, STAY, GO GREEN

Surreal Estate Helios House
The country's first green gas station, designed by Boston architect Nader Tehrani of office dA with Johnston Marklee & Associates, recently opened in Los Angeles. Sponsored by BP, the station has a spaceship feel and a green heart. Its undulating metal canopy is clad in triangles of recycled steel, while motion-sensor lights, solar panels, farmed wood, recycled glass embedded in concrete and bins for recycling are part of the energy-saving theme. The station pumps plain old air-polluting gas, although BP is considering adding biodiesel and alternative fuels, as well as selling carbon offsets (Olympic Blvd. at Robertson). —Joanna Krotz

In 2006 Americans spent nearly 230 billion on home remodeling.(Source: National Association of Home Builders)

Getaways with Heart image courtesy of: USDA Forest Service
Passport in Time: volunteers at work in New Mexico

Go//Getaways with Heart
Turn your time off into time well spent: Vacations with a purpose are quickly gaining popularity—from stabilizing ancient cliff dwellings in New Mexico to tidying the grounds of an English castle.

"In a world that feels increasingly out of control, helping others reminds us that even the smallest efforts can have a ripple effect—and could even change a life," says Ellen Levy, who works at a Washington, D.C., think tank and recently spent her vacation with Habitat for Humanity in Botswana, building houses for single mothers. Levy is in good company these days. Nearly a quarter (24 percent) of all travelers say they're interested in a holiday of service, according to a recent survey by the Travel Industry Association. As a result, choices are proliferating, with treks and trips for every taste, from saving animals and restoring historic landmarks to constructing schools and joining archeological digs. Like most participants, Levy came away inspired and restored. "I'd do a volunteer vacation again in a heartbeat," she says. Costs range widely. Some outfitters require only sweat equity, and, of course, your travel expenses are tax deductible. Others run from $600 to $6,000 or more, with fees covering lodging, food, local transport and other operating expenses. Here's a sampling of the possibilities.

MEND A FIXER-UPPER: The National Trust, Europe's largest conservation charity, protects historic houses, parks, gardens, monuments and 700 miles of British coastline. Two of many options: staying in a Northumberland cottage and helping groundskeepers tidy Lindisfarne Castle or building a dry-stone wall at the Welsh estate Ysbyty, near Snowdonia National Park (NationalTrust.org.uk).

DIG THIS Passport in Time sends their volunteers to work with USDA Forest Service archaeologists and historians in such places as ancient cliff dwellings in New Mexico; the remains of a freed-slave community in Illinois; or a 19th-century Chinese mining site in Idaho. Many opportunities involve backcountry camping, and the trips range from a couple of days to two weeks (PassportInTime.com).

CULTURAL CONNECTIONS: Amizade, a grass roots group, offers options for intercultural experiences and community projects, including one in Australia to help preserve Aborigine heritage or a trip to Brazil to build a job-training center for street kids (Amizade.org).

CLOSE TO HOME: Short on time? Don't want to leave the country (or your own neighborhood, for that matter)? Try Volunteer Match, an online service that allows you to pitch in closer to home. Just input your zip code, travel limitations (say, a ten-mile radius) and specific areas of interest and—voilà!—you'll find local opportunities, such as becoming a living history interpreter for the elderly or helping out at the local zoo (VolunteerMatch.org). —Sarah Belk KingHydroelectric and wind energy contribute more than 85% to Eugene, Oregon's power, making it America's greenest city. . . By 2012, every Taxi in New York City will be a hybrid. . . Commercial and residential buildings account for 70 % of electricity use in the U.S. . . New urbanism places home, work, school and stores within walking distance, slowing global warming.

Food Watch: No More Monkfish

After years of being tossed aside for sexier species, the warty brown monkfish came into its own once it was dubbed "the poor man's lobster." Now a victim of its own success, monkfish have been overfished and recently made the "avoid" list of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch, a terrific resource that tracks sustainable choices for consumers (MBayAq.org). —Lisa Higgins

MET Tomes
Greenopia: The Urban Dweller's Guide to Green Living

The city known for casting a jaded eye on trends sweeping east from the left coast is about to find out just how green it really is. New York will be the next city featured in Greenopia: The Urban Dweller's Guide to Green Living, a series of new city guides uncovering ecofriendly goods and services. Previous editions covered Los Angeles and San Francisco, each with about 1,000 listings. Entries range from chemical-free beauty products to nontoxic pest control, from officematerial recycling to green burial options, from sustainable manufactured building materials to rental cars powered by vegetable oil. Greenopia readers are encouraged to share their experiences with the organizations listed in the guides and to offer their suggestions for entries at the Greenopia website. Meanwhile, other cities needn't go green with envy—guides to Chicago, Seattle and Portland are on the horizon ($13 to $17; available at bookstores or Greenopia.com). —Mary Ann Fusco

What the Pros Know Cords

"Some high-tech equipment is beautiful, but I've never seen beautiful cords. The ideal thing is to bury them in the walls. For wires on a desk, I'll design a piece with a hollow leg and run them through that. For an antique, I'll tape the wire to the back of the leg." —Paul Siskin, interior designer

pan-dan.blogspot.com
A daily visual feast for the design-minded Internet surfer, most of the products shown on this blog are not currently available in the United States, but readers can sneak a peek at goods from some of the world's cleverest product designers and get a taste of what's to come. —Callie Jenschke

The average LED-certified building uses 32% less electricity and saves 350 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually.
(Source: U.S. Green Building Council)Real-Life Money: Funding a Face-Lift

Is this the year you renovate your house? If so, "there are a lot of good financing options for you, and you want to look at all of them," says Kyle Kilpatrick at LendingTree.com, the online lending exchange that lets borrowers compare loan terms and rates. First, figure out how much you need, then build in a 10 percent cushion for unforeseen expenses. Here are the most popular borrowing options:

Personal loan or line of credit: Useful for smaller projects of around $10,000 or less, personal loans are based on your credit score and ability to repay. The interest rate will be at least a couple of percentage points higher than on other types of loans. Rates are fixed and you get the money in a lump sum. If you expect to pay for your project in stages, look into an unsecured line of credit, which lets you access cash as you need it and pay interest only on what you withdraw.

Home equity loan: This is a second mortgage secured by your equity in the house. The loans average $30,000 to $40,000, with cash in a lump sum, which makes it a good option for single-shot improvements. The interest rate is fixed at a percentage point or more above the rate on first mortgages, and terms can run as long as 30 years. Typically, the interest is tax deductible.

Home equity line of credit: Advertised as a HE LOC, this is similar to a home equity loan, but the interest rate is adjustable and cash is drawn as you need it. HE LOCs are convenient if you're doing the bathrooms this fall and the kitchen next spring.

Cash-out refinancing: If you need $100,000 or more, you've built significant equity and your home's appraised value has grown, this is a good choice. You refinance the existing mortgage at a higher principal, pay off the old one and use the difference to renovate. The downside, of course, is that the bigger mortgage likely means stiffer monthly payments.

Construction loan: For larger projects, you may also consider a construction loan, which rolls over into permanent financing after the work is done. The loan is based on the appraised value the home will have after the renovation, which is why your lender must approve your plans and your contractor. Money is disbursed in stages and the interest rate is adjustable. You pay only on what you use. Whichever you choose, "go for something conventional," advises Walter Molony of the National Association of Home Realtors. That means avoid teaser rates and lenders without a track record. —Julie ConnellySmart Refrigerators
It's the digital big chill, next generation. In recent years, so-called smart refrigerators have featured electronic improvements, like internal temperature sensors that cool in sections so food stays at optimal temperatures and lasts longer. But the latest models are chillin' on a whole new level of both smarts and style. "The kitchen is the new digital hub of the household," says Meghan Henning at the Consumer Electronics Association.

Check out Samsung's new Wireless ICE (pictured), which stands for Interactive, Communication and Entertainment. It boasts a wireless LCD message center, built-in sound system and radio. You can input schedules, appointments, voice or text messages for the family as well as memos. The digital center also wirelessly connects to DVD or VCR players, so you can watch videos or movies while cooking. And if you enter food expiration dates, you get an alert that day—no more guessing the vintage of that leftover chicken.

LG's new, slick TV Refrigerator has a builtin 15-inch screen and a coaxial cable outlet right behind the door hinge for easy installation. Its message center provides weather forecasts, a recipe bank preprogrammed with Culinary Institute of America entries and a USB port to upload digital photos. And new models from Whirlpool and Gaggenau are expected to debut later this year.

This kind of innovation is driving demand. Shipments of refrigerators (6.5 cubic feet and over) are expected to jump nearly 7 percent this year, according to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. "Next year is likely to see even wider adoption of smart appliances as devices go high tech and prices drop," predicts Henning. Ultracool doesn't come cheap. Expect to pay $3,000 to $6,000 for a new high-end, high-tech model.

If you're ready to shop, keep in mind that these new machines are not your mom and pop's icebox. Consider upgrades and maintenance. "Technology is changing quickly, and you don't want to be tied to something that could quickly become obsolete," says Neal Lao at Whirlpool. Also, especially for imports, identify how many service companies in your area are authorized for warranty.

And remember that repairs can turn costly once the warranty runs out. "Any appliance that saves energy and is controlled by circuit boards is more costly to maintain and repair," warns Vernon Schmidt, author of Appliance Handbook for Women: Simple Enough Even Men Can Understand. "Power outages can also cause problems with computerized appliances."

Still, experts say you haven't seen anything yet. Around the corner are refrigerators that will offer dinner recipe recommendations based on their contents. New machines also will let you "know" when it's time to restock. Handwritten shopping lists? They are so analog! —Sheryl Nance Nash

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